Cheval Blanc Paris opens its doors and brings the Parisian palace experience to the banks of the Seine

We’ve already shared our picks for the top boutique hotels in Paris, spoken to one of the country’s leading hotel designers: Dorothée Meilichzon, and we love updating you on the trendiest openings in the city too (we’re looking at you, Hotel Elysia!) But there’s another exceptional property that has just launched in the French capital that’s caught our eye, and we know you’ll want all the deets. Thankfully, our writer on the ground in one of our favourite cities has experienced the hotel already and is here to share her thoughts. So what exactly will guests find at the newly-opened Cheval Blanc Paris?

Cheval Blanc Paris opens its doors

What are the most iconic Parisian views you can think of? The Eiffel Tower, the Seine, Notre-Dame, Montmartre, and the basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Invalides and grey zinc roofs… name it and you can spot it from newly opened Cheval Blanc Paris. Located in the historic 1st arrondissement, a stone’s throw away from the Louvre, the 72-room hotel is one of the first Parisian palaces to leave the very chic 6th and 8th arrondissements for a more lively, historic location offering unrivalled panoramic views of the City of Light.

A heritage building filled with modern art

Cheval Blanc Paris is set in an historic Art Deco edifice from 1928 by Henri Sauvage, one of the most acclaimed French architects from the Belle Époque and Art Nouveau era. Once part of iconic department-store La Samaritaine Paris, the building has undergone a 16-year renovation led by architect Édouard François aimed at reviving its Art Deco glory with adding contemporary flair to it.

Inside, the design by award-winning architect Peter Marino sees striking contemporary and avant-garde art pieces put together to create a distinctive identity and sense of place. Cue collages from Georges Mathieu and Viz Munik, sculptures by Philippe Anthonioz, paintings by Sonia Delaunay and video installations by Yoram.

That “je ne sais quoi”

A window opened on the Seine, Cheval Blanc Paris fosters a distinctively Parisian art of living. From the Parisian Chic Poudré and Parisian Chic Boisé scented amenities created exclusively for the hotel by Maison Dior’s perfumer François Demachy to the custom-made plates by porcelain-makers Sylvie Coquet, everything at Cheval Blanc Paris is infused with a touch of that discreet je ne sais quoi. The hotel is an ode to the creativity and craftsmanship heritage of France, a bold decision in a design landscape often dominated by Nordic and Asian influences.

Bon appetit!

As one could expect from a true Parisian, Cheval Blanc Paris sets the bar high when it comes to dining. From breakfast and gouter – the French way to afternoon tea – at Limbar to contemporary bistro-style lunch at Le Tout Paris, drinks on the 7th floor panoramic terrace, and dinner at Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Donckele gastronomic restaurant Plénitude or at Langosteria, the first international outpost of the acclaimed Milanese restaurant, every hour at the hotel is a delicious one.

Discover more about Cheval Blanc Paris

This story was contributed by our friends over at Hong Kong Madame. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on how to live your best Parisian life in HK.

But wait, there’s more…

• We love staying at the best palace hotels in India
• The new Six Senses Ibiza has launched (complete with sitar den!)
• And we sat down with Bill Bensley to talk designing sustainable hotels